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Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Beauty and inner tranquility

I had quite a month - a flamboyant January!
Normally to me, a month is a mere representation of the time encompassed by 30 days.
But this January had a life on its own! A wild animal which I failed to tame...
Absolutely cracking New Year festivities with dear friends were followed by some so intimate and heart warming conversations with my loved one, bonding culminating with the Solar eclipse on 4th of January. I was on the top of the world!

Then I found my apartment broken into and all of my high-tech gear gone. It took a few days to shake off the terror from the invasion of my privacy. Insurance is still handling my claim.
Another stressful week followed - should I stay or should I go...NL or UK...I exhausted my brain from weighting the pros and the cons. And I stayed.

The yoga marathon I wrote about a couple of blogs ago was a lifesaver. I switched to 'an anti-social mode', to save some energy, but I was already running on 'reserve battery power'. Nevertheless, true to the 'seize the moment' attitude, I enjoyed a couple of small social events when presented with the opportunity.

Next on the list - annual performance review at work. I passed, I even got a tiny pay raise.

And every evening, checking my email one last time before I go to bed, iCal will remind me that one more day has gone...for good. And all I could say I had done was to admit that I was falling inevitably behind - with everything. At the end, I got sick. Been with a cold for more than a week now...what a way to learn that sometimes one just has to stop and rest - rest my body, my thoughts, my emotions...

After a few days of sleep, my brain finally showed signs of life...I needed beauty!

Beautiful conversations with friends, beautiful thoughts about the future, even the beauty of things....it all brings me inner tranquility. Thank you B., W. and E. for being part of today!

I can not express the beauty of a conversation or someone's presence. So, instead I will share with you the beauty of three buildings to illustrate the inner tranquility I found today.

Santiago Calatrava is one of my favorite architects.
I have seen three of his works:
- Sondica Airport, Bilbao, Spain (photo by José Miguel Hernández)

- Twisted Torso Tower, Malmo, Sweden

- Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI, USA

I think they are incredibly beautiful...and I can't wait for the Chicago Spire to join the skyline of the Windy City - my most favorite city, ever!

Does beauty bring you tranquility? :)

2 comments:

Lucky you! Guggenheim was closed when I was there (Monday!)...but at least I admired it from the outside. The Experience Music Project in Seattle is another one of Frank Gehry's projects, and there I've been a few times. Very charismatic!

About me

'No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.' (John Donne) ...or... 'Every man is an island. But clearly some men are island chains. Underneath, they are connected. ' ('About a boy') I'm blogging because I enjoy reaching out and stirring a conversation, sharing thoughts, hearing back from you, connecting...and if in any way I'm able to ease your day, or simply entertain you...all the better! And don't be afraid to leave a comment.